Anyone here collect stamps?

[HaRuMaN]

I don't collect stamps...  but I have an old album (about 4 inches thick) with a lot of old stamps from the US and across the world...

What should I do with it?  I really have no interest in keeping it.

[Fordman]

How old is old? By asking that, what is the face value of the stamps? .02 cents? less? More? What other countries are present and are any from Liberia? If they are from Liberia then they arnt worth the paper and glue they are printed on. If your from the US, any time there is a 'Special' minted coin or stamp commemorating a special event, it is usually from Liberia and is a money trap.

Im not picking on Liberia, but (history lesson here for some) Liberia is where the freed slaves of the US from the 1820's to 1870's ended up when they were given the chance to return to Africa. In the region, Liberia is known as the USA's bastard child as most of the population has bloodline back to US slavery. English is the official language but many dialects are spoken there

Liberia has printed and minted so many wortheless stamps and coins, they usually are just plate-stamped metal with a gold-like coating and the stamps usually are on cheap paper stock that the glue usually shows through the paper after 2 years or so.

My brother used to be a huge money and stamp collector for those that want to know how I know.

 

Fordman

[HaRuMaN]

I don't think there are any Liberian stamps...

There are stamps from the US, Germany (pre & post WWII), China, Spain, Italy, Japan, and on and on...

Dates range from ~1900 through 1960's I think.  I'd have to look to make sure.  It's a LARGE album.

[HanoiBoi]

I don't know anything about stamp collecting.

If I were you and I was looking to sell, I'd start with a plan like this...

A) Research the possible values.  Go to the library and find some stamp collecting books.  Search the internet for stamp collecting sites.  Search ebay for similar listings and sales.  This would be time consuming, but could be worth it in the end.  It could also be a fun family activity.

B) Find a local stamp collector and ask him/her to take a look at the collection and appraise.  I would not suggest leaving the book with anyone.   If they make you an offer, it would most likely be much, much lower than the real value.

C) Take a buncha, and I mean buncha pictures or scans (maybe all pages?) and list them on ebay; per stamp, per page, entire collection, your call.  This could let the market decide the value.  Of course, you'd want to time your auction well and hope that the most collectors as possible see it.  

D) All of the above.  Determine a value though research and appraisals.  List them in an auction(s) with a starting price or reserve price somewhere between the offer and the appraisal.

Good luck!

[Dartful Dodger]

I just got the smiley face stamp on the Wii fit.